Rocket Propulsion Systems, and Related Methods

Abstract

In an aspect of the invention, a system for rocket propulsion includes a heater operable to generate thermal energy from energy supplied from a non-chemical energy source, and to supply the thermal energy to a non-cryogenic fuel to thermally decompose the fuel into components that include at least a first component and a second component. The rocket propulsion system also includes a combustion chamber and a nozzle. The combustion chamber is operable to receive an oxidizer and at least a portion of the thermally decomposed fuel, and allow the two to combust. The nozzle generates thrust by directing the products of the combustion out of the system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for rocket propulsion, the system comprising:
 a heater operable to generate thermal energy from energy supplied from a non-chemical energy source, and to supply the thermal energy to a non-cryogenic fuel to thermally decompose the fuel into components that include at least a first component and a second component;   a combustion chamber operable to receive an oxidizer and at least a portion of the thermally decomposed fuel, and to allow the two to combust; and   a nozzle through which products of the combustion flow to generate thrust.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the heater includes at least one of the following: a laminar-flow heater, a turbulent-flow heater, a microwave-sustained plasma heater, and a laser-sustained plasma heater. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the heater is operable to heat the non-cryogenic fuel to more than 1,000 K. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein thermally decomposing the fuel includes vaporizing the fuel. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the non-chemical energy source includes at least one of the following: a beam of electromagnetic radiation, a laser beam, microwave radiation, millimeter-wave radiation, and submillimeter-wave radiation. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the non-chemical energy source includes at least one of the following: a nuclear reactor, an electric heater, and focused sunlight. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the fuel includes ammonia (NH 3 ). 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the fuel includes at least one of the following: methane (CH 4 ), hydrazine, monomethylhydrazine, dimethylhydrazine, LiH, B 2 H 6  and LiAlH 4 . 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the first component of the thermally decomposed fuel includes hydrogen. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the second component of the thermally decomposed fuel includes nitrogen. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the oxidizer comprises at least one of the following: oxygen (O 2 ), ozone (O 3 ), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), nitrous oxide (N 2 O), nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), nitrogen tetroxide (N 2 O 4 ), chlorine trifluoride (ClF 3 ), chlorine pentafluoride (ClF 5 ), and fluorine. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1  wherein energy supplied by the non-chemical energy source heats some or all of the oxidizer before combustion. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the combustion chamber and nozzle are further operable to generate thrust from the decomposed fuel without combustion. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the combustion chamber is configured to combust at least some un-decomposed fuel with the oxidizer. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising another combustion chamber operable to combust un-decomposed fuel with the oxidizer. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15  wherein both combustion chambers share a common nozzle. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a thrust-augmented nozzle (TAN), operable to use decomposed fuel in the primary combustion chamber and to use un-decomposed fuel in the thrust-augmentation injectors. 
     
     
         18 . A method for producing rocket thrust, the method comprising:
 providing a heater energy from a non-chemical energy source;   supplying thermal energy via the heater to thermally decompose a non-cryogenic fuel into components that include at least a first component and a second component, before the fuel enters a combustion chamber;   mixing at least a portion of the decomposed fuel with an oxidizer to combust the two; and   directing the products of combustion through a nozzle to generate thrust.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein providing the heater energy from a non-chemical energy source includes providing the heater at least one of the following: a beam of electromagnetic radiation, a laser beam, microwave radiation, millimeter-wave radiation, and submillimeter-wave radiation. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein providing the heater energy from a non-chemical energy source includes providing the heater at least one of the following: electricity, focused sunlight, and nuclear energy. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising producing additional rocket thrust by exhausting uncombusted, decomposed fuel through the nozzle. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising producing additional rocket thrust by combusting un-decomposed fuel with the oxidizer and exhausting the combustion products through a nozzle.